Lyla's Story
by TheYankee813
Summary: Follows Lyla's point of view of the events of the show. Starts pre-first season. Reviews welcome.
1. Chapter 1

It all began on a hot summer night in Texas. It was hard to remember which one hot summer night it was, because all summer nights in Texas were hot. That's all people remembered about Texas anyway: how hot it was. Even at Thanksgiving and Christmas time, even when it was supposed to be cold, Texas was, without fail, one of the hottest places in the world. Lyla Garrity was used to the heat. After all, she'd never lived without it.

Lyla remembered the first time she'd visited Jason up north, her first trip to New York City. It was January or February; to say the least, the experience had been somewhat of an eye opener. "Guess I should have told you to bring your winter gear," Jay had joked, knowing full well that Lyla, a product of Dillon, Texas, was not even remotely likely to own so much as a heavy jacket. She remembered the way he had smiled at her, and for a moment, nothing had changed between them.

Jason's journey had taken him far from Texas, but Lyla liked to remember him the way he had been back on that summer night years ago. Of course, Lyla had known who he was before that night; he was Jason _Street_, QB1 of the Dillon Panthers, town hero, with dreams of playing college ball and going pro someday. Lyla knew enough to know that football players, especially football players with Jason's talent, could be jerks. But she also knew that Jason was as far from a jerk as a guy could get. He was a parent's dream, courteous and considerate to everyone who knew him. He was a leader; he inspired the people around him to become greater, and he constantly pushed himself to become a better person, on and off the field. He smiled a lot, laughed often. He was everyone's buddy; he made everybody feel special. Lyla also happened to know that he was single and that he was one of the cutest boys at Dillon High. Those last two things were things she'd only recently noticed, things that made her turn beet red whenever Jason happened to be around. Jason, cool as could be, treated her as he always had: with that constant flow of kindness and respect that one could always expect from him. In other words, he seemed to take no notice of Lyla Garrity.

So when Bella Wallace, captain of the Panthers' cheer squad, the squad Lyla had been dreaming of joining since she was six years old, asked her along to "this small get together" out by the river the Friday before school started, Lyla still didn't expect anything. Even though Bella was a junior, like Jason, and even though she knew for a fact that Bella and Jason were friendly and that Bella could put in a good word if necessary. Lyla had only seen Jason from afar, usually playing football or in front of a camera; she'd watched him time after time talking to her father, Buddy Garrity, the unofficial mascot of the Dillon Panthers, about some play or strategy. He was ever the gentleman; he never ignored her when chance brought them together. But Lyla could never quite get up the courage to speak to Jason Street, the legend of Dillon and the boy she hopelessly adored.

Bella had asked her over before the party, and while they giggled together and put on makeup, her new friend got directly to the point. "You like Jason."

Lyla nearly gagged over her lip gloss. "Excuse me?"

"You know it's true," accused Bella, pursing her lips and grinning a little. She stood behind Lyla, who sat in front of a mirror. Lyla looked up to find Bella staring at her reflection.

"I can see him liking you," she decided. "I can see it."

"Bella." Lyla knew her voice sounded weak, but the protest was worth a try. "Seriously. I'm not kidding you. There's no way Jason likes me…of all the girls…he's Jason _Street_…"

"I didn't say he likes you," Bella pointed out bluntly. "I just said it's a possibility. Now, are you going to coat your entire face in that stuff so poor Jason can't even see you? C'mon, Lyla, this is getting beyond the point of fashionably late. Let's go."

Lyla looked at her reflection one last time, her mind still on Jason Street. Then she followed Bella out of the room, her stomach churning in anticipation.

--

According to Lyla's Mickey Mouse watch, a gift from her dad for her twelfth birthday, it was approximately 7:47 P.M. when Bella's station wagon pulled into the parking lot next to the lake. The two girls got out of the car and made their way over to the somewhat large group of high school kids sitting on logs or lawn chairs, smoking a joint or drinking a beer. A lot of people hailed Bella as she approached the group; a few recognized Lyla. Quickly scanning the crowd, Lyla didn't see Jason anywhere. Somewhat disheartened, she turned to Bella, who said automatically, "Don't worry. He'll be here. I'll get us beers."

Her friend returned momentarily, pressing the icy cold beverage into her hand. It felt good to hold, and Lyla was sure it would feel even better sliding down her throat. Even as the sun was about to set, Texas could be just as terribly hot as it was in the middle of the day. It was only in the dead of night that the temperature dropped to what felt like subzero. Lyla found herself wishing she'd brought her jacket; she had no idea how long Bella would make her stay. The wind off the lake could make those subzero temperatures even worse. She turned to Bella again to say something, but she was interrupted this time by a tall boy with jet black hair. Lyla wasn't quite sure where he'd come from.

"Lyla, Vic Thompson," said Bella quickly, "Vic, Lyla Garrity."

"Buddy's daughter?" the boy, Vic, asked Bella.

"Yeah, she'll be a freshman," Bella answered.

Vic looked uncomfortably between the two of them. "I thought you were supposed to come to the party with _me_!" Vic exclaimed to Bella indignantly, after a pregnant pause.

"Yeah, well, I didn't, did I?" snapped Bella in return. "Maybe, Vic, I decided that I was done with your cheating and your lying, and that I wanted to go to a party to _enjoy _myself, and not worry about you and who you're with and what you're doing. It's enough to drive anyone crazy!"

"Babe, calm down," said Vic rather roughly. "I don't even know where you're getting all this stuff from! I've never lied to you! Haven't we been over this?"

"Oh, please, Vic," groaned Bella, and it was at this point that Lyla Garrity began to feel very awkward.

"Is this about Allison?" asked Vic, his voice rising. By this point, both of them had totally forgotten about Lyla. "Because I swear, nothing happened, we were just talking and it looked like something _had _happened, but I promise you, nothing did."

"How many times have I heard that line?" cried Bella. She was so angry that the shade of her face matched the auburn of her hair. Lyla began to edge toward the group of seniors sitting around the bonfires, throwing back can after can. She tossed her own can, still unopened, on the ground in a mixture of shame and anger. She wondered why Bella had given it to her in the first place.

"Apparently, I haven't said it enough," Vic retorted nastily. "I just don't get how you can be so thick, Bella. All I really want is for you just to be chill and stop pulling all this _shit_ on me; it's so—"

"Listen, guys," Lyla cut in, "I think I'm going to head over there. I…I…well, I just…" She glanced anxiously toward the black lake, as if it would give her an excuse.

"…said you'd meet me here," came a strong, steady voice from seemingly nowhere. Lyla didn't even need to turn around to see that it was Jason Street standing behind her. "Glad to see y'all," Jason went on, clapping Vic on the shoulder and smiling at Bella. "I just came over to…well, I'm just gonna steal Lyla away for a bit, if you don't mind." He looked at everyone innocently, as though he were interrupting an ordinary conversation.

Lyla gaped at him in amazement as both Bella and Vic nodded their assent and promptly continued arguing. Meanwhile Jason Street took her arm and together they walked into the trees that led directly to the lake. It was uncanny, because that was exactly where Lyla had wanted to go after all. She was conscious of Jason's hand touching her arm as they walked away from the crowd and toward the lake. It was as if everything was happening too fast and too slow, all at the same time.

When they stopped at the shores of the lake, where the noises of the party were a distant and fading memory, Lyla said the first thing that came to her mind. "You don't like these parties very much, do you?"

To her surprise, Jason took a long time to consider this.

"I don't have an answer for you," he said finally. "I feel as though I ought to go, so people around here still like me. I don't want to seem…"

"…too good for the room," Lyla finished, and Jason nodded. They stood at the dock right now, and Jason had let go of her arm.

"But if I enjoy these parties, well, that's only some of the time," Jason went on. "If they involve everybody in a drunken stupor making idiots out of themselves, then no, I can't say I enjoy them too much. But, say, if Tim Riggins shows up, then it's not so bad."

"Tim _Riggins_?" Lyla couldn't have thought of a more unlikely pair. "_The_ Tim Riggins?"

"The very same," said Jason. "You ought to know him better than I; you guys are in the same class."

Almost touched, Lyla said, "You know what class I'm in."

Jason laughed, somewhat embarrassed, and for a moment, he flexed his wrist as though he was going to take her hand. But then the moment passed and he said, "I know what you know about Timmy, and a lot of it is probably true. But give him a chance, Lyla. I bet he'll really surprise you one day."

Lyla laughed too. Tim Riggins was one of those boys her daddy had warned her to stay far away from. She doubted that Jason could know anything about Tim Riggins that all the fathers with daughters in Dillon didn't know. But she was too happy to be alone with Jason, Jason who tonight had finally singled her out above all others, to even care about someone as insignificant as Tim Riggins. Her heart thumping, she turned and looked at him for the first time all night. Jason Street looked back at her; he smiled, and from that moment on, Lyla Garrity was in love.

--

Lyla didn't see Jason again until Sunday. The Streets and the Garritys attended the same Baptist church; it was the same church that everyone in Dillon attended. The service was long and full of passionate rhetoric and gospel music, same as always. After the service, Lyla's daddy took a long time getting out of the church, chatting everybody up about town happenings and of course, Panther football. At one point, she saw her parents talking to Mr. and Mrs. Street; they were smiling at something her father had said. Meanwhile, her mother was across the parking lot, talking to Mrs. Taylor, the offensive coach's wife. Her little brother Buddy Jr. tugged on the hem of her dress, asking when they were going to leave. Lyla told him to hush, as she had been wondering the same thing herself. She turned on her heel, with the intention of joining her mother's conversation, and collided head-on with none other than Jason Street. For a moment, they both stared at one another. Jason and Lyla had spent nearly all night talking by the lake that Friday, so long that Bella had left without her. They talked about everything: their families, their interests, Lyla's desire to be a cheerleader, Jason's dreams of making something big of himself outside of Dillon. The next time Lyla checked her Mickey Mouse watch, it was 12:30 A.M. Almost as horrified as she was, Jason drove her home and insisted on coming inside with her to apologize for being out so late. With Jason by her side, all traces of anger evaporated from her parents' faces—at least from her father's anyway. Waking up the next day, though, it had all seemed like a dream. Especially when he didn't call. She had really thought he would have called. Looking at him now, she didn't know whether to be angry or not. Maybe the whole thing didn't mean as much to him as it did to her. He was a football player after all; he was QB1, Jason Street, and she was just Lyla Garrity.

"Lyla. I'm so sorry," said Jason immediately, pulling her out of her reverie. She could tell he felt a little embarrassed. "Are you okay? That was totally my bad. Does anything hurt?"

"Jason," she said, relishing the sound of that perfect name on her lips, "please don't worry about it. It was kind of my fault…I turned sort of suddenly and…" She looked up at him to find that he wasn't listening. He was staring.

"Lyla," Jason said, and there was reverence in his voice. It took Lyla's breath away to see him looking at her like that. She could stay like that forever.

"Listen," Jason went on, somewhat hesitantly, "I had a great time with you the other night. A really great time. And I know it's crazy, but…"

"_Jason_!" cried the voice of Buddy Garrity, cutting in on their conversation. Lyla's dad waltzed over to the two of them, and beamingly laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You talkin' to our QB1, baby? Jason had a great practice yesterday, didn't ya, Jason? This boy's gonna be a star, let me tell you. Now, Jason, I remember Coach told you about that split formation, but I think I got a better idea…"

Jason's handsome features fell somewhat, but true to form, he listened politely, nodding and smiling and saying, "Yes, sir," when Buddy paused for air. Lyla could tell he was almost as bored as she was. Her daddy waxed not so eloquent on the upcoming season, the strengths and weaknesses of every starter, the opening game against Arnett Mead. Lyla felt frustration gnawing in her stomach as her father went on and on, and on and _on_.

"Jason." Lyla turned to find Mr. and Mrs. Street standing behind her. "I think it's time we headed home," said Mr. Street, quickly assessing the situation. "Your mama's got a big brunch for us, son."

"Okay, Dad," said Jason, looking perhaps a bit relieved. He held out his hand, which Lyla's dad shook enthusiastically. "Well, nice talking to you, Mr. Garrity," he continued politely. His eyes were regretful as they rested on Lyla. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but seemingly decided against it. Jason Street looked at Lyla Garrity for a long moment, and then he said:

"Bye, Lyla."

"Bye, Jason," she said in reply, and she watched him walk away without a word.


	2. Chapter 2

Lyla Garrity's first day at Dillon High School dawned sunny and clear. It was nearly 70 degrees by 7 A.M. when Lyla arrived downstairs, dressed to the nines, perky as ever. Her mom had breakfast ready for the family when they arrived downstairs. She always did, every day; Pam Garrity was the epitome of suburban housewife. So Lyla was not at all surprised by the impressive spread before her at so early an hour.

School was also starting that day for Lyla's younger siblings, Buddy Jr. and Tabby, and Buddy had to be at the dealership early. Consequently, the nice breakfast was somewhat of a rushed affair. The family ate in a spotless kitchen filled with stainless steel appliances. The kitchen was nice, for certain, just as nice as the rest of the house. The Garritys lived in the nicest houses in Dillon; they could afford to, considering Buddy's position as the monopolist in West Texas car sales. It didn't hurt either that Pam had come into a considerable amount of money when her father died. With their combined assets, money was a non-issue for the Garrity family. None of the Garrity kids knew what want was, or need, for that matter. Lyla couldn't remember a time she'd asked for something and had it denied her. That was Buddy's doing; he believed in giving his "babies" whatever they asked for when they asked for it. He figured that he had worked hard all his life and that his children should reap the benefits. Consequently, Lyla, as she herself would later realize, grew up to be about one of the most naïve fourteen-year-olds in existence. Her little siblings, on the other hand, had turned out to be, for lack of a better word, brats. They were lovable brats, admittedly, but they were brats all the same.

"Lyla, baby, you nervous?" asked Buddy at the table as he passed the syrup.

Was she ever. There was so much to worry about: the students liking her, the teachers liking her, the cheer squad tryouts that afternoon, seeing Jason Street again, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Lyla couldn't believe that one person could feel that much and still be able to walk and talk and eat and _function_. She was just a ball of nerves; she was a mess. She couldn't believe her daddy even had to ask.

"I'm okay, Daddy," said Lyla, smiling prettily at him.

"You'll be fine," said Pam, resting her hand over her daughter's. "You don't have anything to worry about. Call me for a ride when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Lyla agreed, just as a loud honk from outside indicated that Bella was ready to take Lyla to her first day of school. Lyla picked up her plates, but her mother motioned her down.

"You don't worry about that. Catch your ride. I love you, sweetie."

She kissed her mom and her dad goodbye, and she even tried to kiss Tabby (who made a face) and Buddy Jr. (who squirmed away). Then Lyla Garrity picked up her book bag, put on her shoes, and opened the front door into the sweltering Texas heat and into her new life.

--

Lyla quickly adjusted to high school life. She was a good student and she took all advanced placement classes. She also made a whole new set of friends, mainly the cheerleading set. Tryouts were every day after school; the coach wanted to make a decision by the following Friday, and Lyla was in a state of constant fear that she wouldn't make the cut. Bella and the others assured her she was a shoe-in, but there were times that Lyla wasn't so sure. With cheerleading, and all the homework she had on a daily basis, and keeping up with a new schedule and new priorities, Lyla Garrity was surprised she even had time to breathe.

And then there was Jason. They did run into each other at school quite often. It wasn't so predictable that they'd see each other; freshmen and juniors had different schedules and their paths certainly didn't have to cross if they didn't want them to. But Lyla seemed to find Jason everywhere she went. They had several more awkward conversations, and at last, one conversation that wasn't awkward. After this one, Jason finally puckered up the nerve to ask her out on a date. There weren't words to describe Lyla's feelings. _Good things happen to good people_, she kept repeating to herself. She was a good girl, and she really loved Jason, and now it was all going to pay off. Jason was going to be her boyfriend and she would be his girlfriend. Nothing could be more perfect.

The Friday before the season opener, Jason Street picked Lyla Garrity up in his new Chevy and took her out to Luigi's, the new Italian restaurant that had recently opened up in downtown Dillon. They both ordered spaghetti and they laughed when both their faces were covered in marinara sauce after two forkfuls. Jason said he'd read somewhere that spaghetti was the worst date food for that very reason.

"So you take me on a date and order the worst possible food?" Lyla demanded with mock anger.

"Nah," said Jason, wiping his red chin, "I just like spaghetti. If it's messy, that's not my fault." He grinned at her, and Lyla's heart did several backflips.

Jason then took her to the movies, where they watched a chick flick about a girl who liked a guy, did something stupid and pushed him away, decided she wanted him back, and once she had him, finally realized they weren't right for one another. About halfway through the movie, Jason garnered the courage to take her hand. The pressure of his fingers on hers made Lyla's stomach turn to butterflies, and she thought again, _Good things happen to good people_.

The end of the date came too soon, and Jason was pulling into the Garritys' driveway. He parked the car, and opened the passenger side door for her.

"I have something to tell you," said Lyla, as Jason walked her up to the door.

He was frozen in his tracks. "Yes?"

"I…I made the cheer squad," Lyla stammered uncertainly, absurdly wondering how Jason would take this news. She hadn't even told her parents this wonderful piece of news yet. She'd wisely known that Buddy and Pam would insist on taking her out for a celebratory dinner that night, when she really wanted to go out with Jason Street.

Jason visibly exhaled. "Gosh, Lyla. I thought you were going to say something terrible!" He laughed a little. "Congratulations! That's great, really, that's great!" He playfully brushed her shoulder. "Now you have an excuse to be at all my games."

"I'd be there anyway," Lyla replied seriously.

They stood together under the porch lights, silent, uncertain.

Jason looked at her searchingly, and then he said, "I'm really glad you came with me tonight. I never thought you'd say yes."

Lyla was taken aback. "_Me_? I thought _you'd_ never want to take _me_ out…I couldn't believe it!"

Jason laid a hand on her shoulder, and he advanced a step closer. "You better believe it," he said quietly, as if not to spook her.

"I believe you," said Lyla, completely honest. "I love you, Jason."

Jason smiled, and he said, "I love you too, Lyla."

There was a short pause, and Jason leaned in and kissed her. It was short and it was sweet; it was a beautiful first kiss, and Lyla Garrity felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

--

"I want you to meet Tim Riggins," said Jason on the phone two nights later.

"_Jason_," Lyla protested predictably.

"Why not?" Jason asked reasonably.

Why not? Why shouldn't one leap into a burning building, Lyla thought bitterly. Because Tim Riggins was dangerous and stupid and because meeting him would come to no good end. Lyla had never personally spoken to Tim Riggins, but she had heard enough about him to scare her off for a lifetime. His parents had walked out on him and his brother when he was a little kid, and ever since then, Tim lived in a drunken stupor, seducing almost every girl in town. He loved them and he left them, if anyone could ever live up to that phrase. He was always in some sort of trouble, the way her dad talked about him. But he was also a stellar football player, when he bothered to come to practice. Lyla's daddy used to joke that he played better drunk than sober. Lyla wouldn't know anything about that. Tim Riggins was in her class this year, but he was about Jason's age, or older; he'd been held back twice: in first grade, and last year, in his freshman year of high school. He'd failed four courses in one semester, a Dillon High record. If there was anyone Lyla could pick as least likely to be Jason Street's best friend, it would be Tim Riggins.

Why not, Jason had asked. Lyla picked the obvious reason. "Tim's failing out of school, Jason." Jason, who scored near perfect on his PSATs as a sophomore, could not possibly like someone like that.

"Yeah? Do you know that's 'cause he and his brother Billy had no money that year, and Tim had to work two jobs? And Billy three? Just to make ends meet." Jason's voice was uncharacteristically harsh. "Don't judge him, Lyla."

"Okay," said Lyla, a bit taken aback. "Okay."

"I'll pick you up in twenty minutes, okay?"

"Okay," she said, and she hung up, dissatisfied.

Jason brought Lyla out to the lake. As they got out of the car, Lyla asked him how they would ever find Tim; the lake was nearly seven miles around. But Jason only laughed and said not to worry. He was right in the end. It didn't take too long to find Tim Riggins. He was reclining in a lawn chair by the water, alternately sipping a beer can and kissing a girl with messy blonde hair who was perched on his lap. Lyla couldn't help thinking that the image somewhat summed up Dillon High School—at least the football team, with the obvious exception of Jason.

"Six!" Tim stopped kissing the girl on his lap long enough to notice them standing around. He set down his beer can and hailed Jason over. Taking Lyla's hand, Jason broke into a grin and together they made their way to Tim.

Lyla had never seen Tim Riggins up close, not really. The first thing she had to admit was that he was truly handsome, albeit in a rugged sort of way. He had long dark hair that hung in his eyes, hair that he never combed and rarely washed, and yet it still ended up looking halfway decent. His gray eyes were piercing; they knew how to captivate. He had a haunted look about him that immediately put Lyla on her guard, and yet it drew her in at the same time. Lyla shuddered and leaned in closer to Jason, pretending she was cold.

"Thank God you're here, Jay," Tim said frankly. He rolled his eyes at the blonde girl while she wasn't looking.

Jason laughed. "I'm here, buddy," he said. It sounded like a promise.

"Texas forever," laughed Tim. Then, cocking his head at Lyla, "Who's the gal, Six?"

"Timmy, this is Lyla," said Jason, and Lyla thought she heard some pride in his voice. "This is Lyla Garrity. Lyla, you know Timmy. My best friend."

"Hi, Tim," said Lyla, with a smile, like a trained puppy on command.

Tim Riggins looked her up and down. "Howdy, Garrity."

"Could you call me Lyla, please?" Lyla asked immediately. When people called her Garrity, it made her think they were talking about her father. He was Garrity, if anybody was. "I like Lyla better," she explained.

"_Could you call me Lyla, please_?" imitated the girl on Tim's lap, in a high-pitched voice, breaking her silence. "_I like Lyla so much better, you see. But if you really want to know the truth, Garrity isn't a bad name either. It reminds me that my daddy's got the entire town by the balls. It reminds me how _special _I am._"

Jason stiffened, and Lyla felt his heartbeat quicken too. "Tyra. Stop it. Now."

Tim pushed Tyra off his lap somewhat impatiently. "Yeah, Tyra, lay off Six's gal. Let me handle this. Six, get us some booze."

Jason didn't move. He watched Tyra saunter away from them, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. He jammed into his pockets. "Tim…" he said hopelessly, pleading.

"She's Tyra," said Tim lazily. "Not much I can do, Six. I'll say some words and she won't listen to any of 'em."

Jason nodded, acknowledging the truth of this. He turned to Lyla. "I'm sorry," he said somewhat lamely, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's all right." Lyla smiled up at him, showing him it was really okay. It really _was_ just fine. Nobody cared about Tyra anyway. "I don't think we've ever met, Tyra and me," Lyla said honestly.

Tim Riggins laughed. "You've walked by her a thousand times, Garrity."

Jason was a little more delicate. "Her name's Tyra Collette," he said. "She's in your class. She's been with Timmy here for a little while. I guess…I guess you guys aren't friends."

Lyla laughed a little, but a part of her also started to hate Tyra Collette, even though it was a stupid thing to do. She loved Jason, and Jason loved Tim, and Tim loved Tyra. So really, she couldn't hate Tyra Collette, not if she planned on being in love with Jason. Not liking Tyra was just something she'd have to keep to herself, she decided. "No, I guess we aren't really friendly at all," she said finally. "And Tim…it's Lyla."

"No," said Tim, laughing, "you'll always be Garrity to me, kid." He looked at Jason. "Go get me a beer, Jay. Let me talk to your gal." He smiled engagingly. "It's a win-win situation."

Jason looked uncertain, but he said, "Go easy on her, Timmy," before he left.

There was an awkward silence, where Lyla stared at Tim and Tim stared at Lyla.

"That's my best friend there," said Tim at last, gesturing at Jason's retreating form. "He's all I got, Garrity, you get that?"

"I get it," said Lyla, nervously wondering when Jason was going to come back.

"You don't mess him up," Tim went on. "I don't ever, _ever_, wanna hear you did anything to Jay, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," said Lyla, her stomach churning.

It was only then that Tim smiled at her. He didn't smile with his mouth. Tim Riggins smiled at Lyla Garrity with his eyes, his smoky gray eyes that suddenly made Lyla feel entirely exposed. "Then I think we're gonna be great friends, Garrity," he finally said, and he tipped his beer bottle toward her in salute.


	3. Chapter 3

A year had passed since the day that Lyla Garrity had officially met Tim Riggins. Since then, they'd spent a lot of time together, admittedly always with Jason. The three of them were inseparable; they did everything together. Lyla had dropped her old friends for the most part. She spent time with the girls on the squad, but she never considered herself close with them as she was with Jason and as a result, with Tim. She could tell Jason mostly anything and Tim mostly nothing, but when it came down it, she guessed she loved Tim just as much as she loved Jason, though definitely in different ways. Jason and Tim always included Lyla in their adventures, and a lot of Jason and Lyla's dates involved picking up Tim or getting him out of some scrape. Tyra joined them sometimes, though more often than not, she didn't. Lyla at least never considered her a part of their group. Part of it was that she personally didn't like Tyra; the other part was that Tyra didn't want to be a part of them. She and Tim were always fighting, usually because Tim had slept with some rally girl or Tyra with some other guy. Besides, Tyra made no secret of the fact that she hated Lyla. So it happened that Tim was usually alone, a fact that Lyla wasn't too distressed about. When push came to shove, neither Lyla nor Jason minded having him around; in fact, they liked it for the most part. Tim was a pretty likable guy most of the time, when he didn't say or do something that annoyed Lyla. It was only at those times, when he acted like an utter ass, that she remembered that the sole reason that she put up with Tim Riggins was for Jason.

Lyla's unadulterated love for Jason Street hadn't changed one bit. She knew she'd follow him anywhere. Jason had a stellar season that year they got together; he and Tim and the Panthers' running back, Brian "Smash" Williams, were an unstoppable trio. They'd led the team to the state semifinals that year, where Tim had gotten hurt and they'd unfortunately had to hand over the win to a team from East Texas. Still, everybody said how phenomenal Jason was; he was the number one quarterback in the country. Colleges had been fast at his heels since the end of his freshman year, but junior year was when Notre Dame started talking to him seriously. Going into his senior year, it was almost definite that he'd be playing football for Notre Dame next year. Naturally, Lyla planned on following him in two years when she went away to school; she was sure she'd go to Saint Mary's College, right next to Notre Dame, in South Bend. They'd stay together during college and while Jason got adjusted in the NFL, and then they'd get married. Lyla knew she was the luckiest girl in the world. Not many people meet their soul mates at fourteen; not many people are lucky enough to have their soul mate be as wonderful as Jason. Lyla Garrity was almost sixteen, and her life was mapped out clear before her. She loved what she saw.

--

It was Monday morning, a clear beautiful September Monday morning, four days before Friday night, before the opening game against Westerby. Lyla got up early; she had to make the cupcakes for the sophomore class bake sale she'd promised Mina Daley. Mina was the sophomore class president and a fellow member of the cheer squad, one of the girls she hung around with when Jason was busy. Lyla was captain of the cheer squad now, since Samantha Davis had graduated last year and Bella had named Lyla her co-captain. Lyla knew Bella had done it because they were friends, and because she wanted to impress Jason, but she also knew she deserved it. And Lyla was glad; she loved cheerleading. It was good to have that recognized once in a while.

Pam and Buddy came downstairs just as Lyla was taking the cupcakes out of the oven.

"Mornin', honey," said Buddy, coming over and kissing her head.

"Lyla!" exclaimed Pam, instantly critical. "I was going to use that batter for the opening later this week!"

"Sorry, Mom," said Lyla unapologetically, reaching in the cabinet for the frosting.

"Well, you should have asked," snapped Pam a little peevishly. She started getting the cereal and milk out of their respective locations, started a fresh pot of coffee. Buddy sat at the counter, slumped over in near exhaustion. In the meantime, Buddy Jr. and Tabby had come downstairs, tiredly demanding their breakfast.

"I _said_, sorry Mom," Lyla returned just as peevishly, concentrated on drawing blue panther heads on top of her cupcakes' yellow frosting.

"Ask about things in the future; don't just assume," said Pam shortly. "And you better have done your homework, Lyla, before you made cupcakes for the whole school."

"It's for my _class_, Mom, not for the school," Lyla said, wondering why her mom had gotten so angry all of a sudden. It seemed that in the past year, their successes as a family had expounded and Pam's mood swings, as a result, had gotten exponentially worse. Lyla didn't understand the relationship between the two.

Pam issued her final edict: "And no going out with Jason Street this evening. We're having a family dinner tonight. That means the _entire_ family, dinner _together_."

"Rally rehearsal tonight," said Lyla without even looking up from her cupcakes. She hated when her parents prevented her from seeing Jason.

"She's gonna be rehearsing how far she can get her tongue in Jason Street's mouth," said Buddy Jr. obnoxiously as he ate his breakfast at the table.

"Nip it," said Buddy sternly. He looked a little pale; Lyla knew her daddy had been working hard in preparation of his new dealership opening up that week. This new dealership was larger and had a lot more employees than the old one; plus, it would be under his name now: Garrity Motors. They even ran ads on TV for it. Lyla knew that her father was under a lot of pressure.

So she got up from the counter as soon as she heard Jason's Jeep pull into the driveway. She went straight to her father.

"Love you, Daddy," she said brightly as she kissed his cheek.

"Love you baby," Buddy returned.

Lyla waved at the rest of her family and flew out the door.

--

Lyla Garrity knew that Jason Street was nervous. It was difficult to tell most of the time, but Lyla could always tell when Jason was bothered. His muscles tensed, but not in a way that was visible. Clinging to his arm in their usual booth in the hamburger place, Lyla knew that Jason was extra nervous.

They'd been followed into the hamburger place by a reporter, of course. A reporter had been following Jason around all day. He followed him at school, asking all his teachers and his classmates questions about him. Then at practice, the reporter and his cameraman had filmed every move he made. He'd thought he was done with them after practice, but as Lyla waited for him after cheer practice, he'd come out of the locker room tailed by the reporter again. Apparently they'd been waiting for Jason in the coach's office, wanting to ask more questions.

"I was…I was gonna go to the hamburger place," Jason told them honestly as they approached Lyla. "With Lyla. My girlfriend." He gestured to Lyla standing in front of them.

"Lyla." The reporter stepped forward, grinning. "Nice to meet you. I'm Tommy Haskins…I've been kind of shadowing Jay around all day, asking him some questions, you know, football stuff, and some non-football stuff too."

"Oh, that's great," exclaimed Lyla. It really was exciting; not everybody's boyfriend was followed around by the evening news all the time. It was because Jason was just that talented.

"You wouldn't mind if we crashed your date, would you, Lyla?" asked the cameraman.

"Oh, not at all," cried Lyla.

And that was how Lyla, a reporter, and a cameraman all crowded into Jason Street's Jeep, driving to the hamburger place.

Lyla understood why the reporters were interested in Jason. He was obviously the most talented quarterback in the entire country. And combined with Tim and Smash Williams, the Panthers were going to be a pretty dynamic force in high school football. There wasn't any limit to them. There was a lot of pressure on the team this year, mostly on the new coach, Eric Taylor. It was obvious that Taylor had to win or he would be run out of town. Dillon took its football seriously; Lyla's own father was a prime example. So the Panthers had to produce, and Jason was a big part of that. Of course, all the local media would be interested in him. It was just so exciting that it was Lyla's boyfriend who was the center of all the attention.

"So," said the reporter, after they'd arrived at the hamburger place and settled in Jason's usual booth, "would you like to tell me a little bit about what's going on here?"

Jason gulped. "Well, this is pretty much where everyone eats. I come here and get the Aztec burger every day leading up to a game."

"Is that an endorsement?" asked the reporter with a smile.

"An endorsement, sir?" repeated Jason, puzzled.

"This could be your first professional endorsement," said the reporter, still smiling, "the Aztec burger."

Lyla felt compelled to speak up. "No, he doesn't have any endorsements."

She looked at Jason for a brief moment, and she said, "No way," as he insisted, "No."

Smash Williams, the star running back, called at them from across the restaurant. "Yo, I got some endorsements."

Jason smiled, and Lyla felt some of the tension relieve from his shoulders. "What you got?" he called back.

Smash grinned. "Uh, Nike, Adidas…"

The reporter turned to Smash. "Nike _and_ Adidas?"

"Yeah!" said Smash.

"Isn't that a conflict of interest?" asked the reporter with a slight smile.

"Not the way the Smash does it, baby," insisted Smash with his trademark arrogance. "I got so much skill there's room for everybody. Reebok, too. Imma do Big Macs and whoppers, Coke and Pepsi." At this point, Jason put head down, half-ashamed and half-amused at Smash's behavior. Lyla meanwhile rolled her eyes. She thought Smash was ridiculous. "Look, Imma bring the whole world together, baby," Smash went on, oblivious. He laughed like he was invincible.

Eventually Smash stopped talking, and everybody in the hamburger place stopped laughing. At this point, the reporter surprisingly turned to Lyla.

"How do you see him handling all these enormous expectations? You know, _Sports Illustrated_ has this as the number one high school football team in Texas."

"Oh, I know!" exclaimed Lyla, eager to please. "That's what I've been saying!"

"Oh really?" she heard Tyra mutter sarcastically a couple tables away, but Lyla continued on, not paying attention to her.

"He just handles it really well," she said honestly. "On the field, he's so competitive but after, when we're alone, he's not like that."

The reporter jotted down notes, nodding and smiling. Meanwhile, Tyra Collette got out of her seat, walked across the restaurant to Smash and sat down beside him. She muttered something to him, and he said loudly in reply, "You can have a bite of anything you want, baby." Tyra picked up his burger and took a large bite. Her eyes met Lyla's, and they were filled with hate. She refused to look away, even as meaty juice dripped down her chin drop by drop.

--

"Where's Tim tonight?" Lyla asked as they pulled out of the hamburger place, finally free of the reporter.

Jason shrugged. "Out by the lake? At the liquor store? At home? With Tyra?"

"So you don't know?"

"No, ma'am," said Jason.

"Well, he's not with Tyra," Lyla informed him, "because I saw her leave the hamburger place with Smash."

Jason whistled softly. "That'll make old Timmy mad." Then, giving her a strange look, "Why do you ask?"

Lyla shrugged. "I dunno…it feels weird not to have Tim around, is all."

"See," Jason cried triumphantly, "I knew I got you to like him!" He was grinning more than he had all day.

"You did not!" protested Lyla as Jason's Jeep turned onto Mapletree Road. She laughed at the goofy smug grin on his face.

"I did too, Lyla Garrity," Jason persisted when she stopped laughing, "and one day you'll admit it. You know it's true."

He was right, so Lyla said nothing in reply. Jason looked over at her, as if to check that she was okay. He didn't say anything else, and the rest of the ride to Lyla's house was spent in a comfortable silence. Lyla looked out the window and wondered why on earth she cared if Tim were with them anyway.

Finally, Jason pulled into the Garrity driveway. He put the car into park and hopped out, smiling. Lyla got out too, and came around the other side, facing him. They were quiet for another moment, as if they were the only ones in the world.

Lyla slowly walked up toward him, knowing she had to break the silence somehow. She had an idea. Staring at him for a moment, almost in awe, Lyla asked slowly, disbelievingly, "Mr. Street…is it true that you can throw a _four hundred _yard touchdown pass...to _three_ different receivers….at the same time?"

Jason smiled a little bit at the absurdity of the situation. "This is true," he said, playing along.

Lyla placed her hands on his shoulders, and told him, "Then you must kiss me."

Jason leaned in and kissed her for a long moment. Lyla put her hands in his hair and kissed him back; she put every feeling she'd ever had for him into the kiss.

When they parted, Lyla asked, "Is it true that you have superhuman powers…and can demolish buildings...and hurl fireballs?"

Jason grinned again. "This is true."

And Lyla again said, "Then you must kiss me." She smiled as she felt the familiar pressure of Jason's lips on her own, felt herself naturally responding to his kiss. It seemed that they parted a lifetime later.

Lyla began once more, "Is it true, Mr. Street…?"

"…that I love Lyla Garrity?" finished Jason. He looked down at her with all the love in the world in his beautiful eyes, and Lyla remembered just why she adored him so much.

She looked back at him with hope. "Yes, is that true, Mr. Street…that you _love_ Lyla Garrity?"

Perfectly, Jason replied, "More than anything in the world."

"More than football?" asked Lyla, joking.

Jason grinned. "More than _most_ anything in the world."

Then he started to laugh. Lyla couldn't help it; she laughed too. They laughed at each other, at themselves, and they finally kissed again.

"I should get going, Lyla," said Jason seriously. "It's late…I don't want your parents getting upset."

"It's all right," Lyla replied instantly.

"Okay." Jason kissed her one last time. "Sweet dreams, Lyla."

"See you tomorrow," said Lyla.

"I love you," Jason said, as sincerely as though it were the first time.

"I love you too," replied Lyla. "Get some sleep."

"And tomorrow…only three days till Friday night," said Jason Street before he left for good.


End file.
